Edinburgh crime: Delta Air Lines crew member appears in court charged with being over alcohol limit for flying

He was arrested at Edinburgh Airport

A Delta Air Lines crew member has appeared in an Edinburgh court accused of being over the legal alcohol limit for flying safely.

Lawrence Russell Jr appeared in the dock during a private petition hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday. Mr Russell, 62, is alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol and was arrested at the Capital’s airport at around 10am on Friday, June 16.

Mr Russell, whose address was given as Georgia, USA, made no plea to the allegation he breached section 93 (1) of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. The legislation sets out a limit at 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood for those activities carried out by aircrew and air traffic controllers.

The Delta Air Lines crew member was arrested at Edinburgh Airport

Mr Russell was remanded in custody following the short hearing and the case was continued for further examination. He is expected to return to the city centre court for a second appearance within the next eight days.

The incident on Friday morning saw the crew member detained by police officers shortly before a Delta Air Lines flight was scheduled to fly from Edinburgh to John F Kennedy Airport in New York. The flight was cancelled and the airline confirmed passengers were being helped with their travel plans.